Travel Trends: Shoulder Season

Shoulder Season is the period of time between a destination’s peak season and off-peak season. This timespan can last months or just weeks. Usually, during the shoulder season, students are in class and holiday activities are either yet to come or have already passed. Here along the Gulf Coast, our peak season is summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and off-peak is winter (Thanksgiving to Mardi Gras) which makes the shoulder season Spring and Fall.

Savvy travelers are realizing that the shoulder season can be more appealing with fewer crowds, lower prices, milder weather, and a more accessible restaurant scene.

A 2022 “Travel Trend’s Report” from Viator shows shifted travel choices following the pandemic, including a craving for the outdoors that is stronger than ever. This is one of the reasons the shoulder travel season has grown in popularity in many destinations - outdoor experiences can still be enjoyed because the weather is milder than peak season, but not yet too brutal to be outside. Additionally, while the school calendar makes it easiest for most people to travel during the summer months, travelers not bound by a school calendar and with the ability to work remotely have discovered the advantages of traveling in the shoulder seasons.

Running a successful property management business requires a great understanding of all the seasons. While many Property Managers (PMs) have strategies for peak and off-peak seasons, they overlook shoulder season. Unlike off-peak season, shoulder season isn’t the time when business is lowest, so some PMs don’t have a well-developed strategy to keep the business floating. Due to the unique challenges of shoulder season travel, property managers need to implement targeted strategies to drive business during this time.

Marketing is extremely important for a PM all year. However, the messaging needs to change depending on the season. PMs need shoulder season marketing strategies based on the driving forces and travelers specific to our market. The messaging used for the peak season is not going to work for the shoulder season. Travelers’ preferences change, and their motivation to travel during this time is different than during peak season.

Just as important as a marketing strategy specific to this season is an in-depth understanding of revenue management and a dynamic pricing strategy. Room rates vary throughout the year, and successful PMs anticipate the fluctuations and strategize accordingly. A revenue management system collects and organizes data related to rates, occupancy, and trends, and based on the analysis comes up with pricing that is likely to attract the most guests and boost rental revenue.

Shoulder season is as important as any other season. Knowing how to drive bookings during shoulder season requires preparation, strategic & targeted marketing, and top-notch revenue management and can be the difference between a good year and a great year.